Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears have kept athletes off of the field for months at a time, occasionally benching players permanently. Repairing a torn ACL requires surgery and extensive physical therapy to regain full range of motion in the knee. Even with these advanced measures, severe arthritis can still develop within the knee. Many of these injuries are caused from non-contact situations where direct contact to the knee never occurs. It has been estimated that approximately 250,000 ACL injuries occur per year and about 70% of these are non-contact situations.
Increased media attention on sports medicine and related orthopedic surgical measures has highlighted the significance of ACL injuries. Further, the professional sports industry is continually spotlighted as a business and revenue generation medium, thus heightening the emphasis on continued player performance. Even college athletics has become a significant investment for top tier schools, who focus substantial resources on facilities, recruiting, and training to maintain a high caliber team. Each of these interests drives the need for the most advanced equipment to ensure continued safe athletic performance.